Friday, December 20, 2013

Top 5 Larry Reid Comedy Classics

After Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid is accused of violating the City Charter in late March, a Facebook page is created in his support using his common refrain to allies, "You are my brother."

2013 YEAR-IN-REVIEW | With the highly-quotable Pete Stark in retirement, there was some fear whether another East Bay public official could ever combine comedic timing, absurdity and biting commentary into a memorable set of quotes. Enter Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid. In 2013, he referenced the Holy Spirit, charged his colleagues with racism and summoned one of Hollywood's most overused exclamations.

1. “You know what?" said Reid in late June,"I don’t know, maybe I should freaking run for mayor of this city and the more I think about it, the more and more I’m just waiting for a signal from God.”

2. “I don’t like to use racism,” Reid asserted in an animated speech in July often met with thunderous applause during a hearing to discuss censuring Councilmember Desley Brooks, “but in this institution that I’m a part of, on this council that I’m a part of, racism is alive and well."

3. “And Dan, I just want to get to know you, bruh,” said Reid during the same meeting in July as he went down the line acknowledging each of his colleagues shortcomings and personal disagreements before getting to newcomer Councilmember Dan Kalb.

4. "Show me the money!" said Reid during a Coliseum Joint Powers Authority meeting in November to approve lease extensions for the A's and Raiders. However, when it came to the proposed Coliseum City, Reid disagreed with others over whether to laud its new investor group he went all Jerry Maguire.

5. With his back ailing him and clearly not in the mood to admonish one of his colleagues, Reid exclaimed, “I could be home watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” In fact, he was serious. As he hobbled out of the council chambers, he added, "I love me some Guy [Fieri]."

8 comments:

Larry Reid is one of the major reasons that Bay area residents should not get upset if Ringling Brothers Circus decides to boycott Oakland. In other words Bay area politics contains plenty of creatures who are much better at being clowns than anybody employed by Ringling Brothers.

An Uncle Tom as well as a clown. And a deeply-incompetent and irresponsible "public servant" who in all his long years on the Council has done absolutely nothing to benefit his alienated and impoverished constituency in District 5.

The fact that Brooks and Reid are ineffective have nothing to do with their race, I judge them by their content of character and their ability to work together with the council to get things done. Oakland can not move on with them mucking up the process..they are a joke that leaders have to tolerate and amuse. Relics of a corrupt era..

Unfortunately, too many ineffective public officials stay in office, because the voting public refuses to raise the bar on electing those who should represent them. In addition, holding public office is an honor and not a privilege. Many local officials here in Oakland have lost sight of this.